The demeaning backstory behind that cruel Michael Jackson nickname

Paris Jackson's appearance at the Melbourne Cup attracted plenty of headlines, but sadly, one in particular is proving we still have work to do.

Just as her music legend father Michael Jackson was subjected to the nickname "Wacko Jacko" -- a term he despised throughout his career -- it seems Paris has also fallen victim to the same attack.

But if you thought the 19-year-old daughter of the Grammy-winning artist would sit idly by and watch history repeat itself, you'd be wrong.

"I couldn't care less what they call me tbh," Paris tweeted alongside a Herald Sun article, "but adding the '2.0' is their way of dragging my father into it and THAT I will not stand for."

The newspaper article in question showed the young star pulling faces and licking the Myer marquee glass from inside Flemington's prestigious Birdcage on Tuesday. Next to the photograph screamed the headline, "Wacko Jacko 2.0."

The nickname was first applied to the 'Thriller' hitmaker by British tabloid, The Sun, in 1985. And it continued throughout the late '80s as Michael's behaviour became more erratic.

"They desire our blood, not our pain," the artist wrote in a note in 1987. At the time, the media was becoming increasingly vicious towards him, leading Michael to retreat to his Neverland ranch.

Image: Getty

Fans argued the term 'Wacko Jacko" was used to dehumanise the King of Pop, and journalist Joseph Vogel explains the origins of "Wacko Jacko" are, in fact, terrible.

In a 2012 article in The Atlantic, Vogel explains that "Jacko Macacco' was the name of a famous monkey "used in monkey-baiting matches at the Westminster Pit in London in the early 1820s."

Soon, the term "Jacco" or "Jacco Macacco" became Cockney slang for monkeys or apes, and it continued into the 20th century as "Jacko Monkeys" became popular children's toys in Great Britain in the 1950s.

"Even for those with no knowledge of [the nickname's] racist roots and connotations, it was obviously used to 'otherize,' humiliate and demean its target," Vogel wrote.

He added, "It is significant to note that, while the term was used widely by the white media, it was rarely, if ever used by black journalists."

Resurrecting the nickname and applying it to a young woman -- who also happens to be the daughter of the celebrated music icon -- seems wrong and frankly, irresponsible.